Pat Perez wins CIMB Classic
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA » American Pat Perez won the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic, claiming a four-shot victory over compatriot Keegan Bradley on Sunday at TPC Kuala Lumpur.
He sealed his first title in almost a year despite carding a modest three-under 69 in the final round, courtesy of a strong start with three birdies in the first four holes.
The 41-year-old only managed to make par on the back nine, but did enough to finish the tournament with a 24-under 264 to take home the $1.26 million prize purse and 500 FedEX Cup points.
Victory also earned him an automatic entry for next year’s Masters in April.
Ko fires 68 to clinch 1st LPGA Tour victory on home soil
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA » South Korean Jin Young Ko overcame a sluggish start to clinch her first LPGA Tour victory at the KEB Hana Bank Championship on Sunday.
Ko, who had been two strokes in front overnight, bogeyed two of the first three holes at the Ocean Course before carding six birdies for a 68 and an overall 19-under total of 269.
“After I made the two bogeys I had a really long chat with my caddie,” Ko said. “He kept reminding me that being nervous was quite natural, that I needed to accept those nerves. I kept reminding myself of that.”
Sung Hyun Park, seeking her third LPGA Tour victory of the year and the chance to take over at the top of the Rolex Rankings for the first time, was denied both goals after closing with a 68 and finishing two shots behind Ko.
England’s Hatton wins Italian Open for 2nd straight title
MONZA, ITALY » Tyrrell Hatton sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Italian Open on Sunday for his second European Tour victory in two weeks.
Last week, Hatton retained his title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the storied Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Now the Englishman is up to fifth in the Race to Dubai rankings.
It looked like Hatton was heading for a three-man playoff before he rolled his final putt into the bottom of the cup and unleashed a series of fist pumps to celebrate the Rolex Series victory.
“I had a good feeling standing over it, even though my hands were shaking and my knees were shaking,” Hatton said.
Montgomerie earns 2nd PGA Tour Champions victory in 5 weeks
CARY, N.C. » Colin Montgomerie earned his second PGA Tour Champions victory in five weeks on Sunday, a three-stroke win at the SAS Championship.
Montgomerie shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 in his final round at Prestonwood Country Club.
He earned $315,000 for his sixth career victory on the 50-and-over tour, and improved two spots to No. 7 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings in the tour’s regular-season finale.
The 54-year-old Scot finished at 16-under 200. He won the tour’s first-ever event in Japan — the Japan Airlines Championship — last month. The Hall of Famer won 31 times on the European Tour and topped the tour’s money list a record eight times — seven in a row from 1993-99 and the last in 2005.
Vijah Singh and Doug Garwood each shot 66 and tied for second at 13-under 203. Corey Pavin was one stroke behind them after his 67.
Montgomerie began the final round sharing the lead with Phillip Price and Jerry Kelly. He had three birdies on the front nine before pulling away with five birdies on the back nine — including on the 14th, 15th and 17th holes — before closing with a par on the par-4 18th.